Notifying or call device for telephones



May 1, 1923.

G. FORSTER NOTIFYING OR CALL DEVICE FOR TELEPHONBS Filed July 24, 1920 A TTOR NE Y.

WITNESSES:

Patented May 1, W23.

UNITED s NOTIFYING ora CALL nnvrcn roa rnturrroivns. 5

Application filed. July 2 1,

T 0 all 10 ha m it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEoRen FoRs'rnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Notifying or Call Devices for Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

In various business houses where the telephones are kept in a central office or part of the building set aside for that purpose if acall comes in over thetelephone for a person who is not near the telephone, it is necessary for a person to leave the oifice and inform the party that he or she is desired at the telephone. Very often, due to the rush of business, the party either fails to answer the telephone or does not "answer immediately and the receiver remains off the hook of the telephone; thereby interfering with other incoming calls and causing delay of the party at the other end of the wire. a

One object of my invention is to provide a device for use in connection with telephones which will be instrumental in causing an alarm when the telephone receiver is taken off its hook in answer to a ringand continue to effect the operation of the alarm until the call has been answered by the proper person. The arrangement of the parts of my invention is such that the alarm can be silenced during the conversation.

Another object is tomake the device of my invention of a comparatively simple construction which can be easily and quickly manufactured and which can be attached to a telephone without in any way changing the structure or interferingwith the operation of the telephone.

Another object is to make the device of my invention of a durable construction and easy of manipulation.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which 7 Figure 1 is an elevation showing my invention applied to a telephone under normal conditions when the telephone is not in operation; the receiver hook due to the weight of the receiver thereon serving to out out the alarm,

vFigure 2 is a fragmentary section showing the device in operative position for causing an alarm, and

1920.. Serial is. 398,769.

Figure 3 shows the positionof the device" during a conversation in which the alarm can be cut out or s'ilenced even though'the receiver isofi' the supportlng hook.

Referr-ing to the drawing, 4 represents a 7 standard of a telephone of a type in general use, said telephone having a supporting hook 5 for the receiver 6; said receiver due to its weight serving to hold the receiversupporting hook 5 in the position shown in Figure 1. However, 'it will-be noted that upon removal of the receiver 6 the hook 5 will automatically move upward into the po- 'sition shown in Figures 2 and 3. -My improved device includes ahousin'g 7 wvhich may be made of wood or other insulating material and is secured to the standard 4: by any suitable securing means such for example as the clamping band 8;

The housing 7 "at its top isprovided with or includes a cavity 9 having a push button 10 mounted therein; said push button being movable upward by means of a spring 11. In other words the spring 11 servesto move the push button into 'the position shownin Figure 2. The bottom of the push button" has a contact member 12 secured thereto adapted when the push button is moved upwardly by the spring to engage two contacts 13and 14:; said contacts having posts 15 and 16 secured thereto to which the ends of electric wires 17 are respectively attached; said wires leading to an electric'generator or battery 17 and an alarm device such for example as a bell 18; it being noted that when the contact member 12' engages the contacts 13" leg portions 21 of the yokedmember extend downwardlyat the sides of thehousing and have slots22 through which pass pivot and limiting pins 23; said pins being adapted to be fixed tothe housing and serve as a swinging support for the yoked member and also as means for limiting the rising movementof the yoked member. The yoked member has a portion 24; on its head which is bent downwardly to form a cam or finger which when the yoked member is swung into the position shown in Figure 3 will engage the push button and push the latter downward so as to break the circuit. By permitting the finger 24: to remain on the top of the push button and the pins 28 to engage in the lower ends of the slots 22, the contact member 12 will be held down out of engagement with the contacts 13 and 14; thereby breaking thecircuit through the alarm device 18. Stop pins 25 may be fixed in the housings at the sides thereof and adapted to be abutted by shoulders 26 on the leg portions otthe yoked member 19 to limit the forward swinging movement of the head 20 to a position in which the finger 24 remains on the top of the push button as shown in Figure 3.

Considering that the telephone and my improveddevice are in the positions shown in Figure 1, if there is a call on the tele-' phone the receiver 6 is lifted from the hook 5 and the hook 5 will then be raised into the position shown in. Figure 2. The spring 11 will then raise the push button 10 and the contact member 12 will be moved into engagement with the contacts 13 and 1 1. This will complete a circuit through the alarm device 18 and as soon as the person who first answers the telephone finds out who is wanted, that person can be notified and the bell will continue ringing until that person answers the telephone. has reached the telephone and starts to answer, the yoked member can be swung from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3; thereby cause ing the push button to be lowered by engagement with the finger 24 and the alarm device will be silenced during the conversation. After the conversation has been completed the receiver is placed upon the hook 5. This operation swings the yoke 19 back due to the engagement of the receiver 6 with the yoke head 20 until the yoke is in its normal upright position as shown in Figure 2 and the weight of the receiver when released will cause the yoked member to be depressed to move the push button downwardly as shown in Figure 1 and thereby break the circuit through the alarm device.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit mvsjelf to the preciseconstruetion set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to .make such changes and alterations as fairly come with'in the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,

When the person remote from the telephone; means automatically movable to effect the operation of said device and normally held against operation by a part of the telephone necessarily movable in order to answer the telephone, said means being operative when released by said part of the telephone to ei'lect the operation of said alarm device; and means for independently moving said first means into an inoperative position so as to silence said alarm device; substantially as described.

2. An attachment, for use in connection with telephones employing a receivensupporting hook adapted to be held in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver, including an alarm device; a push button; and means interposed between said push button and the receiver-supporting hook oi the telephone and adapted when the receiver is on the hook to move said push button into a position to break an electric circuit through said alarm device, said push button, when the receiver-supporting hook is released by the removal of the receiver, being adapted to move into a position to complete an electric circuit through said alarm device, said interposed means having a part adapted to be moved independently of said hook to move said push botton into a position to break said electric circuit; substantially as described.

3.72m attachment, for use in connection with a telephone employing a receiver-supporting hook adapted to be held in a normal position due to theweight of the receiver, including an alarm device located at a position remote from the telephone; a push button adapted to be moved due to the weight of the receiver on said hook to break an electric circuit through said alarm device, said push button, when the receiversupporting hook is released by the removal of the receiver, being adapted to move into a position'to complete an electric circuit through said alarm device; and means operative independently of the receiver to hold the push button in position to break the circuit; substantially as described.

4. An attachment, for use in connection with telephones employing a receiver-sup porting hook adapted to beheld in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver, induding an alarm device; apush button adapted to be moved due to the weight of the receiver on said hook to break an electric circuit through said" alarm device,- said push button, when the receiver-supporting hook is released by the removal of the re ceiver, being adapted to 111 ove into aposition to complete an electric circuit through said alarm device; and means movable independently of said hook and adapted'to move and hold said push button in a position to break the circuit through said alarm device; substantially as described.

5. An attachment, for use in connection with telephones employing a. receiver-supporting hook adapted to be held in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver, including an alarm device; a push button adapted to be moved due to the weight of the receiver on said hook to break an electric circuit through said alarm device, said push button, when the receiversupporting hook is released by the removal of the receiver, being adapted to movelnto' a position to complete an electric. circuit through said alarm device; a yoked member; and means for supporting said push button and forming a pivotal support for said yoked member, said yoked member having a head adapted to be interposed between the push button and the receiver-supporting hook, said head having a part operative, I when the yoked member is swung, to move and hold said push button in a position breaking the electric circuit through said alarm device; substantially as described.

6. An attachment for a telephone includ ing' an alarm device in a circuit separate from the telephone circuit and located at a position remote from the telephone; means automatically movable to effect the operation of said device and normally held against operation by a part of the telephone necessarily movable in order to answer the telephone, said means being operative when released by said part of the telephone to effeet the operation of said alarm device; and means carried by the telephone and movable into position to hold said alarm device inoperative; substantially as described.

An attachment for a telephoneincluding an alarm device in a circuit separate from the telephone circuit and located at a position remote from the telephone; means automatically movable to efi'ect the operation of said device and normally held against operation by a part of the telephone neces sarily movable in order to answer the telephone, said means being operative when released by said part of the telephone to effect the operation of said alarm device; and means carried by the telephone and movable into position to open the circuit to the alarm device when the movable part'of the telephone is in the position which it assumes when the telephone is in use; substantially as described.

8. An attachment for use in connection with telephones employing a receiver supporting hook adapted to be held in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver, including an alarm device; a switch;

a support for. said switch adapted for attachment to the telephone adjacent to the hook; and a pivoted member interposed between the switch and hook and operatlve to open the switch automatically upon moving the hook to supporting position; substantially as described.

9 An attachment for use in connection with telephones, employinga receiver supporting hook adapted to be held in a normal b position due tothe weight of the receiver,

including an alarm device; a switch; a suphook and to engage the switch to open the same; substantially as described.

10. An attachmentfor'use in connection with telephones employing a. receiver supportinghook adapted to be held in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver,

including an alarm device a switch; a support for said switch adapted for attachment to the telephone adjacent to the hook; a.

pivoted member carried by .said support movable between the hook and switch to open the latter when the receiveris supported. upon the: hook; and means to limit the movement of said member, said member having means to engage the switch when the receiver is removed from the hook to hold the switch open and the alarm device inoperative; substantially as described.

11. An attachment for use in connection with telephones employing a receiver supporting hook adapted to be held in a normal position due to the weight of the receiver,

including an alarm device; a switch; a support for said switch adapted for attachment to the telephone adjacent to the'hook; a pivoted member carried by. said support-inovablebetween the hook and switch to open the latter when the receiver is supported upon the hook, said switch, when thehook is released by removal of the receiver, be

ing adapted to move into a position tocomplete an electric circuit through said alarm device, said alarm' device belng included in a projection on said member so that when the latter is moved to one position it will hold the switch open; substantially as de-'.

scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence'oi two subscribing witnesses.

a circuit separate from the telephone; and 

